Abu Dhabi-based Aldar Properties announced the launch of Yas Golf Collection, a Dh1.7 billion ($463 million) resort-style development that aims to tap into the growing demand for properties on Yas Island.
The community, which will span more than 127,000 square metres, overlooks the Yas Links Golf Course and will comprise 1,062 units, with studios and apartments starting at Dh705,000 and Dh1.24m, respectively, the developer said in a statement on Tuesday. Sales will start on July 23.
The project builds on the successful previous launches on Yas Island, which is "attracting large interest from both resident and overseas buyers", said Rashed Al Omaira, chief commercial officer of Aldar Development.
"Given the diversity of units on offer at Yas Golf Collection, we expect to see significant interest from residents looking for a new home, as well as local and international investors seeking a foothold in Abu Dhabi’s attractive property market."
Aldar has been growing its assets. Last week, the developer expanded its hospitality portfolio with the acquisition of Nurai Island Resort, plus two new Abu Dhabi islands intended for "high-end, luxury beachfront villas".
In June, it announced Saadiyat Grove, a five-building residential project at the Grove District on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island that is surrounded by the city's iconic museums.
The company received a further boost last week when Alpha Dhabi Holding, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-listed conglomerate International Holding Company, increased its stake in Aldar Properties to become its parent company.
Abu Dhabi's property market, meanwhile, posted transactions worth Dh71.5bn in 2021, with the total number of transactions across sales and mortgage deals reaching 14,958 during the year, Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport said in a February report.
The homes at Yas Golf Collection will cater to a broad customer base, with its larger units designed specifically for investors who are looking at short-term leasing.
The development will provide proximity to Abu Dhabi International Airport as well as to the sites of major annual global sporting events in the capital, including the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, and UFC Fight Island.
Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
